Improvement in thimbles with guarded cutters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MILLER, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN C. MURPHY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN THIMBLES WITH GUARDED CUTTERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,045, dated August 30, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILLER, of the city, county, and State ofN ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewin g-Thimbles 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming` part of this specification, in which-w Figure l is a side view of the thimble. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like p irts.

This invention consists in the attachment to a sewing-thimble of a cutter or cutting-edge to out thread.

It also consists in so applying a guard or shield in combination with such cutter as to protect its edge and to prevent it from cutting accidentally or catching in the work.

a is the cutter, consisting of a small knifelike piece of steel attached by soldering or otherwise to one side of the exterior ot' the thimble, near the bottom thereof, with its pointupward and its cuttingedge toward the side ot' the thimble, the said edge being close to the thimble at the bottom and gradually inc easiug in distance therefrom toward the point. bis the guard or shield, consisting of a piece of plate metal of semi-elliptical or other suitable form, having a round point and rounded blunt edges, concave on one side and arranged to cover the and attached by soldering or otherconvex on the other, cutter a,

wise to the lower part ofthe lthimble, with its rounded point upward and projecting slightly beyond the point of the cutter. This guard or shield is also attached to the back of the cutter, and so serves to assist in securing the cutter firmly in place.

The thim ble should be worn with the cutter on the back ofthe finger, where it will be out of the way in working. The thread is cut by placing it between the edge of the cutter and the thiinble, across the edge ofthe former and near the bottom thereof', and drawing it toward its point.

Instead ot making the guard or shield b of a separate piece, it may be made by indenting the interior of the thimble so as to produce upon the lower part ot' its exterior a projection of a form substantially like that ofthe guard or shield represented in Fig. l, and then sawing through. the said projection'in a direction parallel with the side ofthe thimble, so as to detach it therefrom, except at the bottom. The projection thus separated is set or bent out from the side ot' the thimble and the cutter inserted into its concave interior and soldered into its place.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A thimble having the guard b attached or provided, iu combination with the cutter or cutting-edge a, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

WM. MILLER.

Witnesses:

ASA OOTTRELL, JosEPII BENNETT. 

